


Tea Leaves

by SugarGlaze



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Alternate Universe, F/M, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Post-War, Slow Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-04
Updated: 2020-09-04
Packaged: 2021-03-06 23:40:44
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,237
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26277307
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SugarGlaze/pseuds/SugarGlaze
Summary: The war is over; the era of Titans too. Camilla wants a restart on life, but she doesn't know where to begin. Thankfully she has Levi to help her.
Relationships: Levi (Shingeki no Kyojin)/Original Female Character(s)
Kudos: 9





	Tea Leaves

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [Beautiful and Cruel World](https://archiveofourown.org/works/22015657) by [SugarGlaze](https://archiveofourown.org/users/SugarGlaze/pseuds/SugarGlaze). 



> A/n: In the same universe as Beautiful and Cruel World, but not connected to it.

The wind brought forth horrific memories; its familiar howls made her heart race. Where was her gear? Camilla tensed up and clutched the knife in her hand – the fruit she had been chopping lay forgotten near the sink.

She closed her eyes and tried to calm down; think rationally. The war was over; the era of titans had vanished along with the walls. There was no reason to panic. Some of the titans remained, but none were a threat to her, or anyone for that matter. Hange watched over them; kept them in capable hands, managed by the most trusted people. The era of peace had begun – a time to rebuild and start anew.

Peace was not a word she was used to hearing.

Breath – inhale and exhale. She sat in the floor and leaned back against the counter. The knife was still in her hand, but she was better. It was her own fault she was so skittish, living alone and miles from anyone. She wanted a house near the ocean; had wanted one since she first laid eyes on it, and had damn well got her desire once the war was over. How was she to know ocean storms were so horrific? It took months for her to calm down, and though she was doing better, fear of the unknown often plagued her.

Camilla feared the return of the titans; the bloodshed and destruction they brought with them. She was prepared, but she also hoped that day would never come.

The sudden whistle from the kettle made her jump. Camilla pulled herself from the floor and raced over to the stove to remove it before the water boiled over. She brought the kettle over to the table and gradually poured the water through the infuser, dunking it inside the cup to circulate the water. Once it was done, she sat aside the cup and ambled over to the front door; Levi was bound to be nearby.

Camilla stepped out onto the porch and took a look around. A chill wind sighed into the night; it’s same light gusts of air rolled the ocean waves towards the shore with a faint, peaceful whoosh. Where was Levi? She noticed a flicker of light from the greenhouse next to her house and went to investigate it.

The Survey Corps made her this when her interest in gardening arose. It was dome shaped, made from spruce lumber and plastic covering with four windows that could be hinged open to allow in sunlight. It wasn’t much, but Camilla loved it all the same.

She eased the door open and found Levi inside. He was on his knee in front of the aster bush Hange and she planted for Erwin; an empty plot sat next to it, ready to be filled. Resting against the door, Camilla watched him quietly. She knew better than to believe he didn’t notice her, but until he raised his head, she remained quiet.

“The tea is done; might want to have a cup before it cools.”

Levi nodded to show he was listening. He glanced at the empty plot in interest, then stood up and ambled passed Camilla. She blew the light out and followed Levi back up to the house. Once inside she offered his cup to him and sat in the vacant chair near his. Moments passed in silence, but she quickly rectified that.

“How goes the tea business? Hange tells me you have a lot of customers at the shop.”

Levi sat down his tea cup. “It’s manageable. Your admirer brings in the leaves and I sell them; nothing hard about it.”

“It’s good to hear Flegel is managing; yourself as well,” she mentioned.

Levi chose to stay near Trost after the war. The decision hurt Camilla at first, but she figured he needed a distraction to occupy his time; away from the city hardly offered that. He opened a tea shop with the help of the Reeves Company and from what she heard; business was good. She herself wasn’t so fortunate, but gardening seemed to help. Some of the tea plants Levi brought her where among the many things she grew; edibles too.

_That reminds me._

Camilla stood up and returned to the sink to resume her task; the fruit was ripe and shouldn’t be wasted. Strawberries were her new favorite. She chopped them in silence until the wind howled and slammed against the house again.

She tensed up and clutched her hands into fists on top of the counter. It was nothing to be scared of; her body was reacting on instinct. Levi watched her arms shake from the force she was using to keep herself from moving and sighed. This wasn’t the first time he had seen her react like this.

“It must be hard for you. The Rumbling began a year ago and passed through here. Those sounds must have made you nearly shit your pants.” 

Camilla laughed. “At first; my gear was the only comfort I had for a while, but once I realized they were passing me by I was able to sleep a little better at night. The wind sometimes reminds me of their screams; funny how terrifying they are when you haven’t heard one in a while.”

She took a deep uneasy breath. 

“This isn’t easy, Lee. Having a normal life is impossible when I’ve never known how to live normal before.”

Neither had he; she was preaching to the wrong person. Levi stood and walked up behind her. His hand touched her arm. “We do the best we can. Living out here away from the others is reckless, but only someone as insane as you can do it.”

“You’re sweet; I’ve missed you,” she cooed.

Levi snorted. “This worn-down old man?”

She turned and brought her hand up to his face. The scars he gained were sharp on his alabaster skin, but she didn’t care. She loved him all the same.

“Stay with me,” she begged. “I sleep so much better when you’re here.”

Levi narrowed his eyes. “I doubt you have sleep on the brain.”

“Can you blame me? You seldom come by anymore. I get lonely out here,” she joked.

Camilla eased forward and kissed the scar that crossed the corner of his mouth. She loved him so much. Leaning down, she latched her mouth onto his neck and gently sucked, tasting his warm skin with her tongue. Levi tensed up; he wasn’t use to this. Camilla became a more passionate and needy woman after the war. Sex was continuously on her mind. Levi couldn’t understand it.

He eased her back against the counter and pulled her away from him. “Knock it off, brat. You’re going to leave a mark.”

“I can put it somewhere they won’t see,” she teased.

Levi flicked her nose. “Give it a rest.”

He was no fun. She let him go and watched as he walked back over to the table to finish his tea. He stared into the cup for a moment, then sighed.

“That empty plot … is it for them?”

She nodded, knowing exactly what he was asking. The plot was for Isabell and Furlan; a memorial garden. “It’s your decision what goes there.”

“Tea leaves are fine,” he uttered. “Flowers would be too flashy to them.”

Camilla smiled; of course. “Anything for you, love.”

He offered her the world; she refused it for him. 


End file.
